mitchell's mausers

My father just bought one of their "collector grade" rifles. It seems like a nice gun. Anyone have the scoop on them?

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Cannonball888

December 22, 2008, 08:19 PM

Your father should have done a little research on them first. Serious K98 collectors think Mitchells Mausers are scammers. From Gunboards.com, Mauser Forum:

"Most collectors dont view Mitchell's mausers as a true collectors piece---more of a very nice example of a post war rebuilt gun made more for common public consumption and shooting pleasure---not a true historic collectable gun...Kinda' floating in that middle-ground between true military collectable and the commonly available sporting guns (ie:Remchesters)..

You can call them what you want--unissued---but most of us call them rebuilt post war mausers that probably never ever seen any battle other then time. Mitchell's has very deceptive advertising about most every gun they have been invloved with---even look closely at your mitchell's box---see a lot of "German" influance???---Well the German war machine was long gone when these rifles where built the first time (ie; 1948)......But Mitchell's has zero problem telling you all about these German Mausers....There NOT German mausers--there Yugoslavia built mausers....ie; m48-m48a medium length action mausers---not true German K98 large ring long action mausers like they would like you to believe.

Many of the m48 stock from Mitchell's have been made in the last 5-6 years oversea's from Teak to make the guns look spectacular in appearance(someone did a wonderful write-up on this on the old boards--and had the wood tested--most of them are some form of Eastern Teak within the last 5-6 years!), but as far as collectability---it's just not there for most collectors----and this is the reason why you have not seen a lot of responses to you post---most people avoid Mitchell's like the plague....They advertise having guns with "SS" and death head markings from every manufacture---calling them originals---VERY DECEPTIVE and a flat out lie!...And asking $10,000 for one----WOW...pretty darn expensive Russian capture rebuilt/restamped with the "SS" or "Death head" stampings!

I do agree they "make" a pretty cool looking packaging, but there are other vendors out there that do have very good looking guns for less money then buying them directly from Mitchell's Mausers---I recall the local Dunhams having m48's "from Mitchell's" for $169.00 and some people even got them cheaper with manager specials....I also found more then one m48 at gun shows that where of unissued "looking" with original stocks---and priced $110.00-$150.00 +/-
.

So to answer the question---does anyone have rebuilt/restocked m48 mausers as nice as Mitchell's???--Probably not, but most importers do not take the time to rebuild the weapons onto new stocks to highten the appearance for resale.....And the final question---will the rebuilt/restocked mitchell's mausers ever become highly collectable???--In my estimation, there price will never see a great increase in retail value because there history of being rebuilt for resale with new stocks for public consumption.

I am glade you like your rifle and I hope I did'nt offend you---but I am just trying to put the Mitchell's guns in prespective----
I would not own one of there post war rebuilt----inflated asking price---marketing deceptive practices guns period....

I would MUCH rather have a Russian capture rifle that has some definate German/Russian history behind it...even "If" they are rebuilt--atleast they have TRUE WWII history----but that opinion is more of a collectors prespective and not necessarly general consumer prespective for a shootable mauser....

Obviously they have made a nitch in the military gun collecting field with there publicity--and obviously some people are very happy with what they have got for there money"

dirtyjim

December 22, 2008, 08:22 PM

imho, mitchells is just short of outright fraud & their rifles are way overpriced.
you should have seen their mosin nagant sniper rifle add. they were trying to sell the accessories for over $200 when everyone else includes those for free on $100 rifles.
i have the add saved somewhere i'll try to find it.

Heck

December 22, 2008, 08:32 PM

pretty sure the one he got was not a an m48. The receiver is stamped 1939.

Cannonball888

December 22, 2008, 08:36 PM

They're refinishing Russian captures now from what I hear. No collectability and an actual decrease in value, IMO. I have an all-matching 1943 BCD original finish. I wouldn't trade it for a " made-pretty" Mitchells mix-master that may have cost someone 2-3 times as much.

barry960

December 22, 2008, 09:01 PM

Cannonball, I'm glad you put Mitchell's into perspective, from a historical standpoint and explaining what they are actually doing, and especially for pointing out that the pricing is not really fair. What about for someone like me, who doesn't really want an actual historical piece, but would rather have something new that is a replica that isn't banged up and has lost too much of its finish, and is not willing to fork over a lot of money for an actual historical piece that is in excellent condition? Are these rifles safe to shoot and sturdy, and shoot reasonably accurate, is the question. One ad campaign Mitchell's Mausers ran in magazines for a short while that appealed to me, and made me want one, had a picture of a coyote and promoted the idea of having a cheap rifle to always keep handy in the truck while working around the property, and not risk banging up your good rifle or having it be vulnerable to theft. With that marketing concept in mind, I got an m44 Moisin Nagant for under $100, but would still like a Mauser anyway. Thanks for pointing out that you've seen them for $110-$150 at gun shows, that's the price range I like for what I want.

TexasRifleman

December 22, 2008, 10:30 PM

My father just bought one of their "collector grade" rifles. It seems like a nice gun.

It probably is a "nice gun" but it's not really anything a collector would want.

Shoot it and enjoy it.

Zundfolge

December 22, 2008, 10:47 PM

Ok, now that we've got past the obligatory "Mitchell's is a bunch of thieves selling noncollectable rifles as though they're museum pieces." kerfuffle lets answer Heck's question (cause while it may not have any collector value, it should still be a fine shooting gun ... in fact probably better than many collector guns as its not all shot out and was never used to dig latrines).

These guys: http://www.scopemounts.com/index.html?main.html
make a real cool setup that replaces the rear sight (so you don't have to do any gunsmithing on a gun you might want to return to its stock configuration someday) making for a nice scout rifle setup.
http://www.scopemounts.com/rifle_pics/48yugoscoutsk.JPG

Along with a scope mount system that puts the scope farther back but doesn't require drilling and tapping.
http://www.scopemounts.com/rifle_pics/98mauser.jpg

They also make some real nice looking scope rings if you want to go ahead and drill/tap for them.
http://www.scopemounts.com/rifle_pics/skulptured1.jpg

Ohio Gun Guy

December 22, 2008, 10:55 PM

I'll second that. Yes we know, mitchells are messed over 1 additional time. Look at it this way. I have a yugo capture (98K with yugo crest) Everything I have read makes be believe it was likely a russian capture, sold to the yugoslavs after the war (As they were making them thier standard rifle) and parted out, refinished, ground down, and "Cleaned Up". They did miss a rather blatent eagle and swastica on the stock. Anyway, you have a russian capture, that has been parted out, refinished, but not ground down. Leaving you with a "Less" historical (Less than a straight up russian capture" but much nicer in appearance rifle. So, will collectors turn up their noses, yep. But my "yugo capture" is a great shooter, and I have often wondered about its history. You at least have some of the original markings and have a rifle that looks similar to an issue gun. If you blue the bolt, it will look a little more authentic. The bright bolt gives them away.

jpwilly

December 22, 2008, 11:08 PM

Let me jump in a say they are okay rifles as long as you don't get fooled into thinking they are more collectible than a plain old Russian Captured Rifle that you could clean up yourself. The Michell Mauser ads are deceitful. But as long as you knew that upfront and you still want one...go for it. I got my Michell Mauser second hand for $295 it's a 1943 Obendorf and is a very nice rifle. There are so many 98K's out there anyway...I think J&G sales has good russian captured 98's for $250.

Dr.Rob

December 23, 2008, 03:18 AM

Mauser 98's seem to be the latest in a craze of 'cheap collecting.' Namely, they are C&R eligible and UNLIKE the one you grandfather brought home in 45-46, the train cars full of them stored in the former Eastern Bloc are now competeing with 'the genuine article.'

Thing is, unlike an Italian made Colt given a fake 100 year patina and notches on the grip, those Russian capture rifles were captured. Now does that mean Ivan took it from Hans at bayonet point? Certainly not.

Ivan took over the ordnance factories (like Brno) cranking out those 98k's along with the mountains of then left behind in places like Stalingrad. We are talking MILLIONS of rifles. So when the Russians put them away, if there was a broken or missing part they grabbed a part from the nearest bin--with a MILLION rifles it's easier to re-number them than to sort all the parts laying around. Rusty bit? Chuck it we have 999,000 more. There's a chance a 'Russian Capture' rifle has barely been test fired.

Matching parts? Neat for a 'serious collector' but to a Russian an example of haughty German overengineering. If the bolt and the reciver match, call it good and shoot it. Who cares if the barrel band matches.. it doesn't affect accuracy.

If you look at gun magazine ads from the late 40's through the 60's you'll find hundreds of examples of mail order 98k's (matching or not) selling for $20. The BRNO 98k I have made in late 45 (and from "German" parts which is why the receiver ring was ground smooth--to distinguish it from a US capture rifle) shoots every bit as well as any 'matching' Mauser I've seen, if I do my part.

I'd agree that The Mitchell's are a tad overpriced, but you also get a shiny new bore and a guarantee. Some folks like that.

Thing you have to ask yourself, is are you going to hang it on the wall and brag about it, or shoot it, or both?

Those Mitchell's rifles are sharp looking, and probably shoot every bit as good as a NEW byf (Mauser), Brno or Steyr made 98k when they were 'new.'

Just don't try to pass one off as a war trophy.

NC-Mike

December 23, 2008, 01:33 PM

Mitchell's has been reduced to offering 24/47's for 295.00 :rolleyes:

"It has a strong Mauser pedigree" :D

elmerfudd

December 23, 2008, 02:35 PM

I think that the main problem people have with Mitchell's is their fraudulent advertising. If they just sold Frankenshined Mausers and were up front about it, no one would really care. It takes some time to clean up these heavily cosmo'd rifles and replacement stocks cost something as well, (not to mention the cost of stamping them with SS runes), so I don't think anyone would care that they marked things up $150. Even a forgery is worth something. The problem people have with Mitchell's is that they represent their forgeries as the genuine article.

Jim K

December 23, 2008, 02:48 PM

One example of Mitchell deception: They sell a rifle as "wartime" because the receiver crest has the date 1943. That is like saying the dollar bill in your wallet was printed in 1776 because it has that date on it.

The rifle is actually a Model 1948 (three years after the war ended, for those who flunked high school history), is not German, was never used in combat and has little historical value.

They sell refurbished K.98k's as just as issued, which they are not.

As others have said, it is not so much the guns themselves, but Mitchell's combination of deception and "not quite" lies.

IMHO, those who think Mitchell's is straight are the kind of folks who invest in Madoff's hedge funds and see Blago for political advice.

Jim

paintballdude902

December 23, 2008, 04:29 PM

in my opinion you want a relly nice wall hanger for the den they are good guns

they are probably good shooters

but id rather go with an rc k98

Golden Hound

December 23, 2008, 04:37 PM

you should have seen their mosin nagant sniper rifle add. they were trying to sell the accessories for over $200 when everyone else includes those for free on $100 rifles.

YES. I saw this in the American Rifleman magazine and I just thought to myself, "are they INSANE?" 200 dollars for a greasy oil can, a measley little pouch and a bayonet? I got that crap for free when I bought my Mosin which cost 89 dollars. And I never use it anyway, what's the point? What kind of fool would pay 200 dollars for those little accessories?

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